Tucked Pickles
by Brainyxbat
Summary: When Stu has to dogsit for his boss, he brings Shenzi Tuck with him to babysit her. While they're at the house, an earthquake hits, followed by an aftershock!
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N: Well, here's an entirely new story! I think it'll have only 2 chapters, though. Enjoy! I hope...)**

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 **Tucked Pickles**

Ch. 1

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"Pickles!"

A man with purple spiky hair hastily stumbled into the main office. Stu Pickles had acquired a part time job in a Reptar toy factory two days a week, as one of the assemblers. "Yes, sir?"

"I'm taking the missus on a romantic cruise this weekend, and I need you to watch my house, and my dog. Here's my address again." He gave him a sticky note. "Glad that's settled. Now get back to work!"

"Uh, y-yes sir," Stu stammered at how quickly the request, or order, was pushed on him, then exited the office, "You can count on me!" He assembled Dactar figures as he made a mental note to tell his wife Didi what he needs to do for his boss. He only hoped that there wouldn't be any other plans; he was scared of letting his boss down, and of the man in general.

After his shift ended, he came back home, where Didi was playing with their oldest son, 1-year-old Tommy. 4-month-old Dil was taking a nap in his crib. "Hey gang," He greeted them as he closed the door.

"Hello, Stu!" Didi stood up, and gave him a kiss. "How was work?"

"It was good," He replied, "But my boss needs me to watch his house and dog this weekend."

"The whole weekend?" She confirmed in surprise.

"Yep. I know Tommy and Dil have their monthly doctor's appointment on Saturday, but..."

"It's okay," She assured him, "I can take them. You have fun watching his dog, and be careful."

"I will, Deed." They turned to the door when the bell rung. "I got it." He opened the door, and saw the new neighbor Friar Tuck on the porch with his 2-year-old daughter, Shenzi. "Hey! What's going on?"

"Well, I have a business trip to attend this weekend, and I was wondering if you guys could watch Shenzi for me. Everyone else is busy."

"Thi-this weekend?" He stammered.

"Um, that's not a problem, is it?" Friar Tuck asked him cautiously. "Are you busy?"

"Kind of. I need to watch my boss' house and dog that weekend. But... if it's fine with you, I can take her with me."

"That sounds great! She loves dogs. Small ones, though, but Spike is a special exception. What kind of dog is it?"

"I'm not sure," He shrugged, "I think it's a small breed. Like a chihuahua, or a Yorkie. Maybe a dachshund."

"Oh, good. Big dogs scare her."

"That's understandable. So, it's settled? I can take her with me?"

"Sure," He nodded, "Can you pick her up from our house before I leave?"

"I can do that."

l-l

That Friday, after packing enough stuff, Stu parked at the Tuck house to wait for his little guest to come out. After only a minute, Friar Tuck came out holding a bag of clothes, toys, and nonperishable snacks with Shenzi following closely. "Okay, here are her toys, and enough changes of clothes to last the weekend." He stashed the bag in the trunk, as Stu came out of the car.

"Thanks. That's a pretty cute outfit she's got on." Shenzi was in a black puff-sleeved t-shirt, blue Stitch alien overalls, matching white and pink sandals, and a light pink bow headband in her black hair.

"Thanks. Okay Shen, you have fun, and be a good girl for Stu, alright?" He kissed his daughter's cheek after she was set in her car seat, which was in place of Tommy's for the time being. "And Stu, don't let her have any milk unless it's soy."

"Alright," Stu guided him back to the house.

"Or any dairy products at all."

"Okay."

"Or any sharp objects!"

"I've got it!"

"Or-!" He closed the door before he could continue.

"What a worrywart. Sheesh!" He then went back in the car, where Shenzi was cooing and gazing around at the interior, after buckling her in. She was making little handprints on the window. "Okay Shen, let's get going." He started driving to the address his boss gave him, as the toddler giggled and watched the scenery roll by. For her father's sake, he hoped the dog would be a small one, and/or a puppy. He didn't know what he'd do if she was hurt by a large dog because she would've tried to play with it.

After a few minutes, Stu parked in front of a large, impressive house. It was almost a mansion. "Well, here we are, Shenzi." He set the bags on the ground, then lifted her out of her car seat. "Pretty nice, huh? Come on, let's go in." He lugged the bags out with one hand, and guided her with the other, deciding to get the rest of his bags later, when she would need some fresh air. He led her into the house after opening the door, and let her explore the living room. "Dang, my boss has it good." Stu flinched, as did Shenzi, when high-pitched barking was heard, before a black chihuahua with brown patches came scrambling in. "Well, at least the dog is little." The small canine made a beeline for the toddler, who was alarmed at first, but managed to stay calm. His head, not including his ears, was almost up to her shoulders.

"Where's that note my boss had to leave?" Stu found a sheet of paper on the glass coffee table, as Shenzi petted the dog. "Oh, here it is. Okay, I should feed Rocky at 4 PM every day, and take him for a walk at 6:30. Hope I remember that later." It was currently almost noon. He then saw Shenzi digging through her bag, with Rocky watching. "What is it, Shenzi? You want to play with one of your toys?" When he heard her stomach growl, he was proven wrong. "Oh! You're hungry, aren't you? Here, I'll get a snack for you." He took out a small box of Goldfish crackers, and opened it. "Okay, here you go." He held her hand out, and poured a few into her tiny palm. She practically dumped the crackers in her mouth, and chewed happily. Some crumbs and tiny pieces fell on the wooden floor from her hands and face, so he made a mental note to vacuum sometime. "No, no, Rocky," He nudged the dog away from her and the box, "They're not for you."

Later on, as she started running around the room with Rocky, Stu took out her toys for her to find later, praying that Rocky would keep away. He watched as she played with the small dog, seemingly having a good time. She threw one of his toys for him, and did so again after he ran back to her. If only he knew of the natural disaster that was going to occur that day.

It happened after they came back from walking Rocky. Stu was about to get some takeout food for Shenzi and himself, when... there was some rumbling. "What the-?" He was alarmed when the rumbling strengthened. "Earthquake!" He grabbed Shenzi and Rocky under his arms, and made a beeline for the doorway. He crouched down on the floor, and shielded the two from any rubble by hunching over them, but what happened next, was something he would never forget for the rest of his life. He felt the toddler struggle in his grasp, because she saw her toys out in the open. "Shenzi, what're you doing?!" Before he could tighten his grip on her, she ran out into the danger zone! "Shenzi, no! Get back here!"

Stu was paralyzed with fear, until he gained the sense to go after her, while carrying Rocky. Since he was dodging pieces of the ceiling and broken glass, he was unable to keep up with her, but he then froze in horror; a small but good-sized piece of ceiling fell right on her head! "NO!" He screamed as she fell unconscious. "Oh God, no!" He ran over the rubble, and shielded her from any more danger. He knew he couldn't move her, in case she had a concussion, but he had to know if she was at least alive! Through the rumbles, he felt for a pulse, and was relieved when it was still there.

After a few seconds, although it felt like an eternity, the earthquake ceased to a sudden stop. Stu let out a huge sigh of relief as he softened his grip on Rocky. "Oh God, Shenzi." She wasn't moving, although she was still breathing. He couldn't imagine how her father would react to this. He made a beeline for the house phone as Rocky sniffed at the toddler, and dialed 9-11. "Hello? I need an ambulance, quick! I've got an unconscious toddler here! A piece of the ceiling fell on her head!" After providing the address, he hung up. "Oh boy, they'd better come soon." He ran over to check on her after putting her toys in the bag, and she hadn't moved from her position. She was definitely out cold. "I hope she'll be okay, Rocky," Stu patted the chihuahua's head, "What would her father say?"

His heart stopped in fear when the rumbling started again. "Oh no; aftershock!" Not caring anymore, he grabbed Shenzi off the floor, along with Rocky and the toy bag, and made a beeline for the basement, where they would be safe. He sat on the floor away from any furniture, and kept the motionless toddler in his lap, shielding her and the dog from any possible debris. It stopped after about a minute, and no one was hurt. Or in Shenzi's case, more hurt. Stu cautiously stood up, and took her and Rocky back upstairs with the bag, and walked outside with his luggage to keep in his car. Afterwards, he was relieved when a blaring ambulance drove up, and a doctor ran out with a stretcher. "Here she is," Stu laid her on the stretcher, and let the doctor take over.

"Are you her father?"

"No, I'm not," He shook his head, "I was babysitting her."

"Well I'm sorry, but you can't ride in the ambulance with her."

"I understand. Just please help her."

"You have my word, Mr. Pickles."

Stu followed the ambulance in his car after putting Rocky in the house, and then called Friar Tuck with the phone nearby, telling him the bad news. After a while, almost a couple hours, he burst into the room frantically. "Where is she?!"

"The-the doctor is still checking on her," Stu stammered.

"She'd better be okay, or you're not babysitting her ever again!"

"I, I understand."

"Pickles?" The doctor peered in, and the two fathers rushed over.

"How is she?" Stu asked him.

"Is my daughter going to be okay?"

"Well, she does not have a concussion," The doctor started off, "She's lucky the ceiling piece wasn't bigger."

"Thank God," Friar Tuck sighed in relief.

"Although her head may be sore for a few days, so I recommend giving her Motrin in her food if she ever shows any pain."

"Alright," He nodded, "Thanks."

"Yeah, thanks," Stu added, feeling relieved as well.

"Is she awake?"

"Not yet, but she should wake up any minute."

"Okay. Is it alright if I stay in there?"

"Are you her father?"

"Yes I am," He nodded.

"Then you may go in." The doctor turned to Stu. "You'll have to wait in the waiting room."

"That's fine," He sat in one of the chairs, as Friar Tuck left the room. He hoped that Didi and their boys were alright. If only he knew that they were all home, safe and sound in their basement.

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 **(A/N: Yeah, I know it's not great. Disclaimer: Stu, Didi, Tommy, and Dil belong to Klasky-Csupo, this version of Friar Tuck belongs to Disney, and Shenzi, Rocky, and Stu's boss belong to me.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: Yeah, this is a major fast forward. Enjoy! I hope.)**

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 **Tucked Pickles**

Ch. 2

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12-year-old Shenzi Tuck was lounging in the living room after having lunch on a Saturday early afternoon. In case you're wondering, she has no memory of the earthquake from 10 years ago. Her father never mentioned it to her, in fear of her believing she now has head trauma, seemingly explaining her strange, but endearing quirks.

After hearing a truck drive away, Shenzi looked at the package that had just arrived, and was surprised to see that it was meant to be delivered to Tommy's house. "Mom? This package was meant for Tommy's place. I'm going to deliver it to them real quick."

"Alright," Felicia Tuck, her stepmother, called out to her, "Be careful."

"I will." Shenzi lifted the huge package up in her arms, and stumbily walked along the sidewalk to her destination.

For the nice day, she was in Stitch alien tropical denim shorts, a black Converse one-star button up shirt, a black Stitch tattoo muscle top under it, black matte ball stud earrings, black Converse dance lace sneakers, blue Stitch ankle socks, and a berry blue hair extension on her long bangs, which now laid over the left side of her face. Thick black eyeglasses now rested on the bridge of her short nose, and braces lined her teeth.

She arrived at the front door, and tried to hold the package with one arm, but quickly had to use both when it almost fell. It was a pain for her to pick up, so setting it down was out of the question. She attempted to use one foot to ring the doorbell, but had to step back down when she almost stumbled. "Hmm," She tried to think of another way, then shrugged and used her forehead.

After a couple seconds, Stu opened the door. "Oh, hey Shenzi," He greeted her.

"Hi. Uh, this package came to my house, but it was addressed to you, so I thought I'd deliver it."

"Thanks! I've been waiting for that to come! Here, I'll take it." Stu held onto it and set it on the floor inside the house, as she rested her arms.

"Phew," She sighed in relief, "Thanks. So, um..."

"Didi took Tommy and Dil out for lunch; I'm just holding down the fort. You can stay for a little bit, if you want."

"Mmm, sure," She shrugged, "Sounds good. Thanks." She walked in the house after he stepped aside, and they sat in the living room. The old family dog, Spike, was sleeping in the kitchen. "So uh, how are things here? How's Spike?"

"Spike's good," He replied, "I can't believe he's almost 12."

"Wow!" Her eyebrows raised up. "He's a trooper!"

"Yes he is. So, how's your relationship with Chuckie going?"

"It's going great," She let a smile grow. Chuckie had been her boyfriend for several weeks now, almost 2 months, and their bond was still strong. "Chuckie is the best boyfriend I could ever ask for."

"Good!"

"We always have lunch or dinner in the Big Mall food court instead of fancy restaurants. I don't want him to end up broke for me."

"That's very nice of you."

A shy blush grew on her cheeks. "Thanks. The Big Mall is more fun than any uptight restaurants, anyway. I love the food there."

After a few minutes, Shenzi stood on the floor. "Well um, I'd better get home before dinner. Thanks for having..." She stopped when the ground started rumbling. "Wha-what's happening?"

"Earthquake!" Stu grabbed onto her, and hunched over at the wall, where the living room and the hall met, praying that Spike was safe.

Shenzi had a death grip on him in fear, but then saw that she left her new phone on the couch, vulnerable to possible debris. "Wait, my phone!" She started struggling, but Stu kept his grip tight.

"No! I'm not making that same mistake! Not again!"

"What do you mean again?!" She exclaimed over the rumbling, but he didn't answer. Spike came running in, and she lunged down to shield him from any debris, so Stu followed her lead in shielding them both. He felt bits of the ceiling fall on his back and head, but they didn't cause any pain.

After a couple minutes, the rumbling stopped. The two cautiously straightened up, Shenzi holding onto Spike, and managed to relax after the terror was over. She let out a huge sigh of relief, leaning back on Stu's shoulder. "That... that was scary."

"Yep," He nodded, "You okay?"

"Uh huh," She replied, "But uh... what'd you mean by "again"?"

"I, I guess your father never told you."

"No," She shook her head, and shifted over to sit in front of him. Spike was just behind her back.

"Well, when you were 2 years old, I babysat you while I was dogsitting for my boss." She nodded, indicating that she was listening. "And... while we were there, an earthquake hit." She looked fearfully surprised at that. "And, uh..." Stu had trouble continuing, "Your... your toys were out in the open, so you... went to get them. I couldn't get to you in time, before a... piece of the ceiling hit your head, knocking you out cold." She let out a small gasp, with her hands on her head. "The guilt's been eating me alive ever since."

"Did I have a concussion?"

"No," He shook his head, "You got lucky. The doctor said the piece wasn't big enough to cause permanent damage."

"Good," She nodded, "It sounds scary, either way."

"It was, believe me."

"I believe you. And please don't feel bad for it. I'm not angry at you for what happened that time, I promise. It could've gone worse than it had, and it didn't. Please don't beat yourself up over it anymore."

"You promise?"

"I promise." She leaned forward and hugged Stu, surprising him. "Don't worry about me, Mr. Pickles; I'm fine."

"Well, if you're really sure," He hugged her back.

They drew away after a few seconds. "Um, I, while it's safe, I'm going to head home." She grabbed her phone, which was undamaged, from the couch.

"Here, I'll walk you home." Stu lead her out of the house, locking the door along the way, and accompanied her.

"Thanks, Mr. Pickles."

"My pleasure. And call me Stu."

"'Kay," She nodded, and they stopped at her house, "Well, thanks for having me."

"You're very welcome. Stay safe."

"I will," She then walked into the house, which was slightly dirty with ceiling debris from the earthquake, but otherwise untouched.

"Shenzi!" Friar Tuck rushed up, and took her in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright, Dad," She assured him, "Stu protected me. And... he told me about an earthquake from 10 years back."

"O-oh," He stammered, "I'm sorry I never told you."

"It's okay. I understand why. Are you, Mom, and Frankie okay?" Frankie was her stepsister, who was older than her by only 6 months.

"They're fine. They're a little shaken up, but are unharmed."

"Oh good," She sighed in relief.

Since the kitchen was a mess, and the appliances were out of order, the family went out to eat, where thankfully, everything still worked. Afterwards, they cleaned up the house together, feeling exhausted after they were done.

In bed that night, Shenzi stayed awake despite her fatigue, her mind filled with thoughts of the not one, but apparently _two_ earthquakes that she experienced in her lifetime. She hoped that she had no brain damage from the incident 10 years back, and that Stu wasn't still fussing over the same incident. He promised her that he wouldn't, so she hoped that he would keep it.

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 **(A/N: Well, I hope the ending was good, as was the whole story! You know the disclaimer.)**


End file.
